Carrie joined Mary Kay behind her husband’s back

If Inactive, Date You Left MK:
01/2013Amount of Initial Inventory You Purchased:
2400How were you recruited? Tell us all the details.
My Pink Nightmare:
I was recruited by an acquaintance. She talked me into going to a meeting, which is where this horror show began. I was in a bad place in my life. My mother, whom I was very close to, had passed away suddenly. I was having a very difficult time accepting that she was gone, and trying to figure out how to build a life without her. I had also gained some weight, and my self-esteem was low. I figured what was the harm in trying Mary Kay, so I went to a meeting, signed on and received the infamous started kit a few days later.

Not long after that, came the phone call from my director, who informed me (in our first conversation) that I needed to buy the $3600 inventory package for my “new business”. Though I was a bit suspicious of this whole “business”, I was intrigued by the idea that Mary Kay might be just what I needed to rebuild my life. I told my director that I would get back to her after I spoke to my husband. She told me not to wait long, as we should begin this process as soon as possible. My husband had a very different opinion. He was appalled by the amount of money I was being asked to spend. He felt that nothing added up, and told me not to even think about using our credit cards or joint account to purchase these products. But did I listen? Not really. I borrowed money from a retirement account my mother had left me. I was determined to get my “business” started.

I ended up ordering the $2400 inventory package, and was so excited for my products to come in. My director couldn’t praise me enough (though I knew she disappointed that I bought a smaller package than she suggested). She laid it on thick. “You will be able to quit your full time job one day”, “Your husband needs to be more supportive of your dreams”, “Your friends will love the product”, “Do not listen to anyone’s negativity”. Yeah right. Her words were nothing but lies. When 6 Mary Kay packages arrived on my doorstep. I hauled them into the basement fast, as I wanted to hide them from my husband. As soon as I opened the first box of make-up, I wanted to cry. What the hell had I done?! I had zero customers. Barely anyone knew I was selling Mary Kay. I had spent my mother’s hard earned money on make-up. And I had done so behind my husband’s back.

I attempted to tell a few people about Mary Kay, and they looked at me like I was the most pathetic loser in the world. My husband eventually discovered the boxes and was less than amused. He couldn’t believe I had gone ahead and ordered all this product. My only saving grace was that I had used my own money, and I explained to him that I could send everything back. He was hurt and angry. We argued several times about Mary Kay. He was very disappointed in me and I lost his trust. I knew I had made a HUGE mistake. I finally realized that I no longer had any desire to sell Mary Kay. In fact, I was ashamed of it. My recruiter kept pressuring me about having a debut party, to announce my business. “Invite everyone you know”, she told me. I had still barely even told anyone about Mary Kay, and I had no intention of doing so. My sister found out from my husband, as he told her he was very concerned that I was going to become brainwashed. My sister and my husband intervened and told me to just get out of it. No one blamed me. They just wanted me to get my money back. I was so embarrassed. My sister even offered to help me sell off what I bought, but I didn’t want anyone else to know about Mary Kay. I didn’t want to put my friends or other family members in a situation, where they would be pressured to buy a starter kit the way that I was.

For the next year, I simply avoided Mary Kay all together. I avoided my recruiter and director’s phone calls and e-mails. My family members would ask me what was going on with the inventory. My husband kept asking me when it was going back. I would change the subject every time someone would mention it. Looking at the inventory every time I walked by it made me want to vomit. I felt like a complete failure. As more time went by, I did some thinking. I finally told my recruiter I was no longer interested in Mary Kay. She and my director were not happy, but I didn’t care. Most recently, I found out that a good friend of mine (who is also a friend of my sister’s) has now joined Mary Kay. My sister and I started talking, and I finally opened up about all my bad experiences. She understood better than I thought she would have. She even told me she was once pressured to buy some products from them that she didn’t want. Then we found “pink lighthouse” and were shocked at how many other Mary Kay victims there are. I am so relieved that I am not alone. I am so happy to be away from Kary Kay.

My husband has forgiven me for my mistake, and my family understands. I am now in a very good place, with confidence and happiness back in my life. I am satisfied with my full time job, and will never again look to any type of weird business like Mary Kay. Unfortunately, I lost all the money I spent on my inventory. I couldn’t deal with sending it back, so I am simply forgiving myself for the mistake and accepting the loss. I gave much of the leftover product to my sister and will give the rest as gifts. I am very concerned, however, about my friend, who has recently ordered her starter kit and $3600 worth of inventory after attending only one meeting. I have opted not to get involved, as I know the fellow Mary Kay cult members will tell her I am negative and jealous. I am not willing to lose a friend over Mary Kay’s mediocre cosmetics and brainwashing tactics. I only hope and pray that she will realize that Mary Kay is a huge farce, before she becomes indebted to them.Do you have a memorable experience from your time in Mary Kay? If so, please tell us about it.
I certainly do. My so-called Mary Kay sister and I did a party together. I am still trying to figure out how she ended up with $500 in sales in her pocket, and I ended up with $20 in my pocket. She gave me this whole story about how we would work together and split the sales. More lies. I worked my butt off that day, setting up, and talking to people about the products. Every time I would start with a customer, she would manage to take over. She stole all the sales.
Interesting, I thought Mary Kay girls stuck together. I was too polite to say anything. I figured she must just be better at selling than I am. I blames myself for not being confident enough. Only recently did I realize that this woman is nothing but a greedy liar, who only cares about herself. I now know I did nothing wrong, except trust her.What are you doing now?
I am working full time as a teacher, appreciating how rewarding my career is. I am happily married and I enjoy spending time with my family and friends.
Though this whole expereince was terrible, I am not sorry for the lessons I have learned:
Appreciate your consistent and reliable paycheck.
If it sounds too good to be true, it is.
Honesty is the best policy.
“No” is a perfectly acceptable answer.
If you make a mistake, own up to it and learn from it.
You don’t need a group of brainwashed creeps, who worship a make-up woman, to tell you that you are special.Feel free to include any additional comments here:
Mary Kay is a cult. They are liars and schemers. All the directors care about is getting the peons under them to buy inventory. Most people who buy the inventory can’t afford it. Their theory “faith first, family second, career third” is a complete joke. Though it appears some people do make money with this company, they are doing so in a way that aught to be deemed illegal. I am going to do everything I can to find a loophole in this company’s policies. I will do eveything I can to help keep other from becoming victims of this con.

Comments

I know someone who has been in it for five months. This was a person who was hardworking, always there for the family. Now all she talks about is Mary Kay. So much that she has gotten other women into it that shouldn’t be in it at all. All she talks about is Mary Kay this and Mary Kay that. They are in deep. They have druhnk too much of the pink koolaid, that I don’t think they’ll ever get out.

That’s terrible! I feel so bad for people who get in so deeply. They are really made to believe that they wll make money and be successful. I hope your friend eventually realizes that Mary Kay is nothing but a cult, before she continues to invest in this farce.

This is not the first time Mary Kay has caused women to decieve their husbands. In fact, Mary Kay’s predatory sales force has something called ‘The Husband Unawareness Plan’ that is openly taught throughout the country.

Thank you @ Faces. I have heard stories about women being told to flat-out lie to their spouses. That did not happen to me, I made my choice, but I was coerced and pressured.
I like the link, too. Thanks for sharing 🙂

I’m sorry to hear your bad experience, but I have to say after reading your story I have to say it sounds like you were dealing with a lot of personal issues. You didn’t seem to have a very good director but I do have to say not every director is like that. I was not pressured at all to invest in inventory, & my Mary Kay sisters are some of the best friends I’ve ever had. You had a bad experience, but it is by no means a cult & most of these women on this site in general had their own problems, and Mary Kay was easier to blame.

Megan, I am glad you did not have a bad experience. But I have to disagree with you when you say that the issues were with me, and not with this company. Perhaps the MK people you have dealt with are decent. That is a good thing, as you most likely won’t be pressured to spend thousands of dollars. However, as a whole, this company is a scam. It is truly all about recruiting and purchasing inventory. I have heard nightmares from people outside of pink lighthouse as well. I was lied to and used, as have many others been. I shared my story to help others not be milked out of their money. I think everyday about the money I lost and how much I could still use it. I work hard and feel I deserved better than to end up with boxes of absurd make-u, that no one wants to buy. I am not a blameful person, and I do take responsibility for the fact that I was the one who was stupid enough to purchase the inventory. I should have said no. But the fact that I was, at the time, overweight and depressed, I feel these women took advantage of me and my situation. I am very happy to be MK free and will never look back, except to help others.
However, I wish you the best in your endeavor and hope it works out for you. I do feel that there are some exceptions and a few women do make it in this business 🙂

OMG! I find it so hard when people say they lost money in Mary Kay. The money is IN the Product! You could’ve had open houses to sell it! Or there’s a website that will buy back Mary Kay product at ANY time! I don’t feel as though you used enough business sense or did enough research! Just because a company makes a large amount of it’s money from recruiting and inventory doesn’t mean Your business had to suffer! It’s YOUR Business, all Mary Kay did was provide product! What you do with it is YOUR Choice! I HATE BAD Directors, they do give a bad reputation to the company!

Brandy,
LJ said it correctly. It’s NOT YOUR BUSINESS!! The main issue here is that women get duped into buying thousands of dollars worth of make-up, that NO ONE wants to buy!!!! It most certainly DOES NOT sell itself. These are lies told by directors who have numbers to meet. To state that I (and hundreds of other people) don’t have a good business sense is total bullshit. I know how to run a business, as I worked as a manager for years, in my previous occupation. You are correct about one thing, there is a website in which you can return the product. Unfortunately, I was too ashamed to deal with it at the time. However, in another defense on this matter, when a consultant tries to return the product they end up getting a horrible, awkward phone call or e-mail from their director. Sadly, this is the way this business works.

You do not have to buy product. OMG. I know people who r completely successful without baving an inventory. The only inventory i use is the basic things you apply to the customer, those aren’t bought, those are droid and I only have to restock once every few months. Yeah my director told me to bet blah, blah, blah but I’m not stupid it’s MY business, I ran it without paying thousands of dollars, its ask in your business plan.

Hi, I just recently found out that I am no longer a MK consultant. It seems I needed to renew my contract? I didn’t know we had to, and I don’t remember hearing about this at all either at the time I signed up 5 yrs ago., or recently. I received no letter or email stating that I needed to renew my contract. Now, I need to send in $25 to renew. I only wanted to do an order one more time, and then I was planning on quitting anyway. I saw above where you stated that there is a website that buys product, what site is that? I am very interested. I do not have much, but have tried to sell and am eager to get rid of the rest of my product. Thank you for any help you can give me.

Kathie, if you don’t buy inventory every three months, then after 1 year you basically have to start all over. Your director or other consultants should have pointed this out long before you got to this point. It’s also in your consultant training materials that came with your starter kit.

I agree with you, Megan. I’ve had an amazing experience wiht MK. Obviously-with anything-you will have the peopel that are just out to make money. But most people I’ve talked to about it love that MK is a faith-based company and-for the most part-has good morals.
I think that going behind anyone you love’s back isn’t the right way to start out any business, it hsould have been an agreement.
Also, I didn’t start with any inventory and I’ve gotten extrenely far with my business. I’m not sure why any director would push you into buying it-and if you didn’t feel comfortable buying it and you did, you can’t blame MK as a whole. Just you and whoever you bought it through.
I hear a lot of people saying that it’s a pyramid scheme and what not-but what company isn’t? You’re never going to make more money than your boss or ceo or president, and people spend hundreds of thousands of dollars every year to go to collage with NO absolution of a job. That’s a bigger scam than some people buying more than they can afford behind their husband’s back…

I was under the impression that this site was for anti-Mary Kay people. Can we not cheerlead this company, please? In posting my story, I was looking to help people and vent about an AWFUL experience. To be frank, I don’t really want to hear anything pro-MK.

I would also like to add that most people who love MK are part of MK. And this is indeed a pyramid scheme. Yes, we all have bosses, but we get paid, don’t we? As a teacher, there are many people steps above me who make more money than I do. That’s only fair, they have been there longer than me. I only care about my own RELIABLE paycheck. Any business that you have to put money into, in which some director gets a piece of is a farce.
Nothing anyone says will change my mind.

Oh, I’m absolutely sure. It’s because production isn’t going to make itself. Directors NEED those orders or else they stand to lose their units, their “free” cars, and their director positions. Look at what National Sales Director Pamela Shaw tells directors about how to make 8-12k in production:

“It’s a couple of Emeralds, a Ruby, a Sapphire, an active order, her own personal thousand, and a couple of thousand of base production. IT’S ALL NEW RECRUITING and some sharp people, it’s no big deal…”

While Shaw seems to think that frontloading like this is “no big deal,” I find it a VERY big deal that she’s meeting her production with “all new recruiting,” i.e. people who just joined, who supposedly know noone, and who probably don’t know how to sell. If NSD Shaw can con two women to come in as Emeralds, that’s 3600 apiece. A Ruby is 2400, and a Sapphire is 1800. That’s a whopping $11,400 in production, and all of that came from fresh recruits! Now if MK really did sell itself, wouldn’t NSD Shaw would have a LOT more of her production coming from her seasoned, more experienced consultants instead of the “couple thousand” she’s getting from them?

If that’s not enough to make you raise an eyebrow, read it again until it does.

Couldn’t agree more! If the product really “sells itself”, then why recruit? I thought of this in the last meeting I ever attended. I just couldn’t stand seeing all different women being bamboozled into purchasing starter kits and knowing some director is going to call them to buy inventory. The directors/DIQ’s stand there with fake smiles and tell everyone they want others to move up the ladder. Such lies. As you said, Scrib, they want to keep their free cars and units. They prey on the innocent.

I must be confused and did not read correctly that you believe that all businesses are pyramid schemes. Let me name a few general types that are not. Restaurants, even franchises are not a pyramid. Clothing stores. Car dealerships. Any legitimate business in not a pyramid scheme. Clearly you do not know the difference between a normal job hierarchy and MLM.

Im so sorry that you had a bad experience. Ive been a consultant for almost a year no and i will agree that some Directors are way to agressive but what got me to staywas honestly the money. I had moved from Michigan to Florida and were wernt broke but we did need some extra money. I already loveed make up and i spent forever on youtube looking up different techniques. so i figured why not get paid to put it on someones face and had no idea about the skincare line long story short i do it for myself and my customers im not a fake person at all, and i know exacly what your talking about when it come to the fakeness but look at it this way there is not one job out there where your not going to meet a fake person but its what you make of the experience. i realized i had to drive my mary kay car not my director. do what make you comfortable and if you feel like you can step out of your comfort zone do it not because someonr wants you to.

The bottom line is that sales are not for everyone. Carrie, if you were embarrassed to tell people that you were starting a Mary Kay business, then there was never any chance of success…..and that is OK because like I stated, sales are not for everyone. I don’t think that it would be fair to say that your husband and you fought over Mary Kay….it would seem that his unhappiness and your fighting was more over you being deceitful or not discussing the situation with him prior to spending the money. (Those same arguments would occur in most households if one partner made a large financial purchase without talking about it with the other partner.)

I’m not really “pro” or “anti” MK but I really don’t like when people comment, “they drank too much of the kool-aid” or “all they do is talk about Mary Kay.” If you are a true friend of a MK lady….and all she is doing is talking about MK…..then you probably were never a true friend to begin with or you would take joy in her happiness (if her business is making her happy of course). In my experience women “talk a lot” about the things that make them feel good or give them the feeling of purpose…..things like their children, family, jobs, friends, or interests. If you have a friend who is talking non-stop about MK…..its most likely because in some way shape or form it makes her feel good. Surely, we can all agree that there is nothing wrong with that? I think back to many experiences in my life that made me feel good and I remember chatting my friends’ ears off about them….sorority life, college clubs and activities, boyfriends, whatever job I had at any given time….thankfully, I have great friends and we share things that we are proud or happy about with one another…..free of judgement. 🙂

Why do I have to continue to defend myself? I came on here with my story for a good reason. This was to warn people about some of the scams MK tends to pull. I never stated that all MK salespersons are bad. And also, you are going off on a tangent about friends. Sorry, but what are you talking about?? I have many close friends. We discuss various topic. What does this have to do with the MK scam??

I’m sorry to hear about your terrible state but don’t you realize through your own comments that the problem started by you? First you were a depressed man you did something silly by doing it behind your husband’s back and thirdly you were to egoistic to even think about others that u didn’t want to make your first party by inviting some friends and family… Proof is in the pie you are to blame!

Minse, Excuse me?? I think you are rude and aught to stay off my comment page. Your comments are absurd. If you read my story entirely, you would see that I DID indeed blame myself. I don’t really need to hear from you that it was my fault. I shared my story with the intent to help others. I don’t want someone else to be manipulated like I was.
And also, you may want to check your spelling and grammar before you write something. Most of your sentences don’t make any sense. Sorry that’s the teacher in me 🙂

I agree Carrie. You did a great job explaining your experience. I admire your willingness to try and save any unsuspecting victims. People who refuse to see the truth will try and distract from it. Any way they can.

Thank you, Jack. You couldn’t be more right. They refuse to see the truth and blame the victim. They make us feel as though we did something wrong or “didn’t work the business”. Their mentality is so warped.

Really? Because, one teacher to another, you certainly have misused “aught” quite a lot in these posts.
(Neither pro- nor against Mary Kay, simple against people smugly criticizing others while making similar mistakes of their own…)

I actually need to add something. I just received a text from my recruiter ( you know the one who porked me out of money), asking me to have a party for her. Really??? She supposedly makes so much money selling MK. Why would she ask a former MK salesgirl to host a party? My guess is that it’s the end of the month and she isn’t making her sales quota. May I also mention that this text was totally random? She hasn’t contacted me since I left MK. I am laughing so hard. She probably shouldn’t have quit her day job.
This should show all of you what Mary Kay is all about. Scams, users, liars.

Wow, after reading your story, I can only first say I am sorry to hear of the loss of your mother, but it sounds like you were all ready to go and started failing by lying, and taking the boxes to the basement to hide, after you make a business decision and investment like that , YOU TELL PEOPLE!!!! Maybe you misunderstood the it sells itself part, maybe you didn’t receive the box of legs you were supposed to get to attatch to the make up! Did you actually think it was gonna get up and run out of the basement and REALLY SELL ITSELF?lol YOU DIDNT GIVE IT ONE CHANCE! From the time it arrived, Be disappointed in yourself for not trying, not in MaryKay.

Laura, you are not showing the Go Give spirit. Shame on you. Recruits are told that ANYONE can do MK, but when it doesn’t work out they are told that it isn’t for EVERYONE. They are told whatever insult will keep them from looking deeper into the flaws of the MK business model and realizing that MK is at fault. Do not hate on those of us who woke up and saw the light while you are still in the dark.

As for your comment about me being disappointed in myself, trust me I was. But not for the reasons you (and others) think I should be. I was (and still am) disappointed that I actually spent money and lied to someone I love. It was wrong. I was wrong. Maybe you ladies are not entirely reading my story. I did place blame on myself. But seriously, how much can I beat myself up over it? Also, I am not fully to blame. I was deceived into Mary Kay. The woman who recruited me took advantage of me. If you knew her, you would agree. Did you read the part I wrote about how she stole all of the sales, that I worked very hard to make at a show we did together? She took over every customer I tried to sell to. She is a greedy, pushy person, and I am not. That was the chance I gave to Mary Kay, and after that I gave up. It was when I realized that this company was not for me. I could never behave in such a way. I realized how pushy you have to be to sell the product. That isn’t me. So, to say I never gave it a try and thought “the boxes of make-up would grow legs” is not true. I am a very hard worker.
On another note, when my director talked to me about inventory, she was taken aback, when she realized I was married and had to clear this with him. I didn’t care for that reaction. Her words, as I recall, were “Oh…I didn’t know you were married. Okay, it’s time to sell it to him”. She really coerced me, made me feel like my husband would be a total jerk for disagreeing. She told me how supportive her husband is of her dream. (I could go on all day about that conversation) Yes, I went ahead and bought it anyway (big mistake on my part) I was extremely overwhelmed when over $2000 worth of make-up arrived. Who wouldn’t be?? As I stated in my story, I DID attempt to tell a few people about MK. They all looked horrified. If my friends and family (the closest people) in my life are against this, why would I try to “sell them” on such a thing?
I stand by my opinion of Mary Kay. I am an educated woman. I know when people are scamming and lying. This company is “every woman for herself”. Nothing will change my opinion.

It is too bad that you see things this way because of a few crummy people. I have had a few people give me that reaction and was worried. Then I run into someone who loves the products and I have hope again. I can’t help but see a pattern to these women who have had such bad experience’s and that is really hard times. Perhaps your decision making processes where not at their best when you decided to go into it. I think that you may have been a victim of your own depression more than MK and I say that for one simple reason…….. you hid away form your director and you products. It is the only reason I can see that a person would not return $2400 in inventory and that money was a link to your mothers passing and must be very difficult to accept it’s disappearance. I am very glad to hear that things are better with your husband. I had the same idea because I didn’t think he would go for it but my director told me I couldn’t continue until I had his full support. I did “sell” him on it and I am glad for that now. I am new to the company but am doing ok so far. I stumbled on to this sight and am glad to see all sides. I feel better informed and will be sure not to be pressured into any decisions that are not for me so thank you for that.

If it were just “a few crummy people” as you say, there wouldn’t be websites devoted to educating people about what really goes on in MLMs like Mary Kay.

Love the products if you will, but I’ve seen enough bashing of women by other consultants and directors because they supposedly didn’t “work the business” to last a lifetime. It’s time we quit blaming the victim of a scheme that is designed to make money for the company.

To pretend that directors and the company don’t encourage women to buy thousands of dollars of inventory is ridiculous. One main part of Mary Kay training is an inventory interview that you’re supposed to do with new recruits. Then when the woman comes to her senses later, after succumbing to the pressure to buy inventory, they blame her! Sheesh. It’s classic manipulation yet we blame the object of the manipulation. Unreal.

LJ,
You are 100% correct. There are more than just a few crummy people in this business. In fact, I attended a party for my friend, who joined MK, after I was out. I didn’t tell her much about MK due to being worried I would lose her. I went to her party to be supportive. Her director was a complete psycho. She was way worse than the women I dealt with. (I am not even going to get into how awful her own make-up looked). She tried to recruit every single person at this party. She was snide and would not even let my friend run her own party. Her words were rehearsed. It was sickening. The recruiters may all have different ways, but the tactics are the same! Recruit and get people to buy inventory. Then, when the person isn’t successful she is blamed for “not trying hard enough to work the business”.
Those of us who have had negative experiences see through this MLM scheme. We don’t fit in with MK because of our morals.

I hate to see this victim card played here by all the able willing participates who became consultants. No one was injured or killed when they signed up to mary kay (those are victims). I was also recruited and left the company. I was sold on the possibility of being my own boss, saw an opportunity and I decided to explore it. Instead I entered with doubt and cynicism and didn’t follow my own advice. Regardless I met wonderful woman who would never use the victim card for identification, as so many woman do here. If the argument is mk has evil intent and play psychological games to take all your money and leave you high and dry, no one has proven it. I learnt a lot from this company about myself and where Im going. Carrie flip every loss to a win, its about perspective.

Diana,
My perspective is that I lost a lot of money. And yes I am bitter about it, and always will be. I am trying to stop what happened to me from happening to others.
Besides my money, I also lost trust. I was used by someone I thought was my friend. Have you ever been used, Di? It hurts. I now have my guard up when I make new friends, never knowing if they really want to be my friend or if I am just being used.
If your “flip loss to win” attitude about MK works for you, then you keep living in the pink. The rest of us will vent and help each other.

I fully understand the “bitter” feeling. However; being a beauty consultant myself, I have found that if you order the product as your client’s order it then you are not out any money from your own pocket. You need not order more then is necessary, having a small amount of inventory is fine, you do not need to load your car or yourself down with more inventory then necessary. And if you are paying for your order’s out of your own pocket before you get the money from your customer’s you are more likely to be out money, as many customers could decide they don’t want the items, or not all the items.

Instead, of being bitter about not making the income or being out money think of it as you made a rookie/beginers mistake. You felt you needed all this inventory just to obtain customers.. Honestly; Marykay is so well known is literally sells itself, your just the person behind it demonstarating what it can do.

Diana,

You are so right, all this negativity about a company is really unncessary when the fault often lies with the concultant whom either misunderstood, didn’t quite know how to demonstrate the product properly, Marykay wasnt for them, or they made a typical beginners mistake and ordered more inventory then they truly needed. Every MaryKay employee I have met thus far has been kind, open, and honest. They have fed me no “get rich” lies, nor have they attempted to lie to me at all. Instead my director is the very one whom informed me NOT to order such a huge inventory, to order the products as my customers ordered them. To take payment up front before I placed the order, that way the money wasn’t coming out of my pocket at all.

The only amount I have spent was the inital signup cost, the cost for my own personal Maykay product’s, a few extra brochures, and a stamp to label my brochures. I do not see this as being out any money, no more money then I would be out doing any other buisness. Honestly, when doing any buisness it is common to know that in order to make money one must be willing to spend some money in return. Nothing comes free, or easy, there is work involved, and you must be willing to work to make anything work.

Amy,
You are right about the fact that the money I spent is a link to my mom’s passing. Having spent her hard-earned money on ridiculous make-up did not help my situation. She was the best person I ever knew and would have seen the absurdity of MK from the start. My depression at the time did not help matters. My reasoning for not sending the money back had a lot to do with the fact that I have friends in common with the crummy people I had to deal with. I have become much more confident, but at the time, I was too much of a coward to send back the money. I just couldn’t deal with their manipulations. I was worried about what they would tell some of our friends about me. I was also told that the director, who placed my order, would end up losing money if I sent my inventory back. I was manipulated into putting their needs above mine. So, I simply let it go. I don’t want to see this happen to anyone else.
I am glad you are staying informed and that you informed you husband.

I’m sorry for the loss of your mother and from what I’ve read it sounds like your director and recruiter really pressured you into buying more inventory than you wanted. I’ve been in Mary Kay for a little less than a year and Ive been looking at the different websites seeing all the different stories about peoples experience with the Mary Kay business. From my own experience I wasn’t pressured to buy huge lots of inventory – I started with a small $600 investment and it’s not my main job – I consider Mary Kay my fun 2nd job. I sell to friends and family and have occassional parties. I have never been pressured by my director to buy more inventory than I was comfortable with – I know this isn’t the norm – but my opinion is that it’s all in the attitude of your director or consultant who recruited you.

You are definitely smart to have only started with $600 and keep it small. I am glad you weren’t pressured to spend a lot of money, and that you enjoy what you are doing, I do think that a small business can work. It’s the pressure that comes from many directors and recruiters that really harms people and their families. Unfortunately your situation is unlike most, with the MK business. I feel there are many selfish, greedy people in MK. Sometimes it can take only one or two bad people to ruin everything.

You know if it weren’t for some of the ladies in MK I wouldn’t be able to tell friends and family about it. I know quite a few woman are interested in MK for the fact that it makes them feel wonderfull. Before I was even asked if I wanted to become a MK consultant I tried their products and listened to the different stories and experiences they all had. There are ladies who came from a very low income family who are now Senior Sales Directors, and they only want to help NOT to presure you into doing something you don’t want to do. I am very sorry you had such a bad experience. I am glad you are a teacher. That is my mane goal. I want to become a special eds teacher.

Carrie- those other posters are the reason over 500 thousand women join, order inventory, quit, and remain silent each year. It isn’t a fluke, it isn’t because you didn’t give it enough effort. I was a sales director. I was a red jacket for my first 5 years (i was a hot shot who got her red jacket within 3 months) and a director for my second 5 years in mk (I was a hot shot who completed diq in 3 months of qualification rather than the typical 4). All of the director friends I knew … even the pink caddy directors, had LOTS of debt. People remain silent because #1- speaking negatively is looked down upon in mk. #2- Everybody is faking it until they make it. and #3- every x director is black listed and rumors spread quickly about her she “lost her dream” , “didn’t do it the right way” “had a controlling husband” or “went off the deep end”. People silently get scammed by MK because its humiliating. You are told to be “all out there” with your business, and then what do you do when you realize it’s all a bunch of BS? X consultants quietly feel like fools, wonder if they are the only ones who feel victimized, and never know that EVERYONE in mk was “faking it”. Good for your family that you got out! <3

I am considering going into mk via two mutual friends of mine who are still verry new to the company my questions are endless at this point seeing as I know nothing about makeup or anything ( I’ve never been able to wear any of it … Untill I tired marykay and had no issues with it ) ( I’m 20 btw ) but to be honest this doesn’t make me feel any closer to making a desicion …. I’ve read things on both the positive and negative scale but I’m still really confused

Katelyn,
It’s good that you are thinking this through before signing on. I personally had a negative experience, but I don’t want to tell you what to do.
The best advice I can give you is to gather as much information as you can before you purchase anything. Do not allow yourself to be pressured to spend money, if you are not comfortable doing so.
I hope everything works out. Please feel free to post questions on this site.
Carie

Carrie,
I appreciate your story and I completely understand how you got sucked in. I am a former bank VP with over 20 years in banking and finance. Mid career, I met a consultant in my branch who was so vibrant and happy that when she asked me if I would be interested in a facial, I, knowing nothing about MK except for the pink Cadillac and women’s cosmetics, agreed. I enjoyed the facial, the products, and spent over $200 bucks that day and totally replaced every product I had been using. Next, I was invited to a “spa nite” . I went and liked those products too, but there was a lot of talk about the opportunity, pretty much all the verbiage MK uses to program folks into becoming consultants. I knew it was an MLM company, but I signed on to be able to buy wholesale, if I sold some, great, but I mainly wanted to be able to get whatever I wanted at a discount. You were at least saved the endless harrassment piece, the part where they try to convince you that you could make an executive income and try to convince you to quit your job to lead this life of luxury ( yeah, after you’ve reached NSD Emeritus level). Long story short, this is the first time I’ve ever posted to a story I’ve read of a recruit who was angry about being deceived, I am supportive of you to have shared your story, and for those of you still determined to make your business work, forget the product, start recruiting and get the team to buy the product so you make your goals cause that’s the only way you’re gonna make any money in this game. It all goes uphill.

Thank you for sharing! I have heard about the wholesale, which does sound like a good way to get discounts. This was never offered to me. I did like some of the MK products, and still do. What annoys me though, is how MK consultants try to convince everyone that MK is the best of every cosmetic. They obviously have to think that, but there is no need to put down cosmetics, such as Mac or Bare Minerals. I suppose this was another reason why MK wasn’t for me. I could not stand by the products 100%. I would only have been lying to myself.
I appreciate you reading my story and understanding how easy it is to be sucked in. The women I have had the displeasure of meeting in MK are manipulative, phony, and downright nutty. It’s nice to see that I am not the only one who feels the way I do 🙂

Hi Carrie, I was a consultant with MK for several years. I started as a Star consultant with a $2400 order. I didn’t do as well as I’d hoped myself; however, I wouldn’t discourage the company because of a few poor experiences. The accountability fell with me; not anyone else. I could say the same thing about myself not finishing college when I was younger. There was nobody to blame but myself then too. I’m going to be 48 this year. I did get my bachelor’s degree finally, and it felt great. The hard work, diligence, and focus are what helped me to achieve my goals. I was driven! Had I placed that kind of passion in my MK business I believe I would have found the same kind of success that so many other women do share with the MK business. I was doing too many other things, and maybe you were too. Unfortunately, you psyched yourself out of selling by listening to all the naysayers of MK. I got to go to conference, went to the factory to see how the products are made, I went to MK’s home, met her son and saw MK herself walk across the stage. Too many people have found success with the business for it not to be here since 1969. Instead of citing that women are liars or that the MK business is all based on lies or fraud, simply state that it’s not for you. No one can fault you for that. Just remember that you (from the beginning) didn’t believe in it yourself. You got what you put into it. Nothing. PS: I don’t mean to sound abrasive in any way. Today, I do my own thing, but I learned a lot in that business. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this discussion.

Hi Pascale. You don’t sound abrasive at all. Congratulations on getting your Bachelors degree. It’s never too late when it comes to education.
I agree with the statement “it wasn’t for me”. It’s completely true, MK was most definitely not for me. It’s unfortunate that I learned this after losing money, but it was a good lesson learned. It’s also true that I put nothing into it. I realized how ashamed I was of MK, and I could not support the product the way that a consultant should. However, I just can’t fully blame myself for this fail. The people I met in MK (and I am not saying that everyone in MK is like this) used me. The woman who recruited me “shushed” me at a meeting and made rude comments about how I was not dressed to MK standards. Needless to say, this was the last meeting I attended. (I had forgotten to mention this in my original story) She embarrassed me and made me feel like I was not good enough. Then, when I got out, she was very cold to me. I was done with MK, so she was done with me. Months and months after, I got phone calls and texts to see if I could help out this person who used me and threw me away. How is this okay? How was she a real friend or team player? You can’t say she didn’t use me or that her behavior was decent. While, I am sure that not all MK people are this way, her behavior left a bad taste in my mouth about the company. I lost a lot of money and felt as though I was burned.
I am glad that your experience was different, and that you learned from it.
I wish you all the best.
Carrie

I’m sad to hear that so many people have had bad experiences! I joined MK over a yr ago for personal use. My director is AMAZING! She never talked me into anything, and was very supportive in whatever I choose to do with my business! I decided to see if I could make money doing this & I have. I have been fortunate in the women I have met have been very blessing, but I have also met those women who ruin it for others. I go to training when I want, I have parties when I want, & if people wanna join thats awesome! Im sorry for all the bad experiences. Thats why i stand firm ground, I got inventory when I was ready, I got the products I was selling! I love my MK and wouldnt have it any other way!

I too am sad too hear about the bad experiences! I joined Mary Kay and my director is AMAZING as well!! I always tell her for everything I want to run it by my husband and she’s encouraged me too and even says that he is free to call her with any questions as well. I was never asked once to lie to my husband. I also have a choice of what I do and when I do it and it is never a problem! I was also told when I signed up that I didn’t have to get inventory that I could do book sales if that is what I chose and was told that would be a great way to start as she understands that everyone has different financial situations. I have also made money selling Mary Kay and love my MK business! Like everything it’s not always for everybody and with anything there are always those who ruin it for the bunch! I am truly bummed that you ladies had such a poor experience!

I too joined Mary Kay. I love the product! There are a lot of companies out there with the selling plan like Mary Kay. Look at Pampered Chef,Tupperware, Melaleuca, air borne, °LiBri , Jocky, 31 company….etc.not everyone is a good fit for selling. These companies have good intentions .. helping you run your own business, the way you want where you want and when you want. I started with a $600 order and my director was not upset with me at all. I talked to my husband about it and he said that he thinks it’s a good idea. If you don’t have your husband and family support, don’t get into it.

Your wrong on the fact that Pampered Chef, airborne, 31, etc. are in the same selling plan as Mary Kay. This could not be farther from the truth. My friends and I have had a ton of various parties: Athena’s, Pampered chef, Silpada, Wildtree, Tupperware, Thirty-One, etc. NOT ONCE has any host ever asked us to join. All you had to do is check off on your order form, if you were interested in the business. They don’t even mention it. These parties were so fun. We would watch the demo, drink wine, eat, and talk for hours. Mary Kay parties are a very different story. At all the MK parties I went to, no one would be allowed to eat until after the demonstration. The host would then give a HUGE talk about the MK business, putting many people on the spot. I also had to give several phone numbers of people that the hostess could contact about the Mary Kay Advantage.
So how is Mary Kay similar to all these other businesses?

Sorry this happened to you because inventory is a choice, i started my business few months ago with no inventory because i did not like the investment, but i did facial parties and worked my business with my wonderful director and i am now recognized nationally in my division became i made 20000 in profit this year with out having inventory the first three months. Mk Ash designed the company for a women that was willing to work as hard for herself as she would for someone else. In this story i heard you did no work to reap the benefits. You joined ordered inventory and never worked! This company was bot designed for lazy fearful people it was designed for women with dreams, that want more.

O.K., autumn, it’s time to put up your Schedule C. $20,000 in profit? Are you sure about that? Or, is that the amount you retailed? If it’s retail, then your gross income is $10.000 – before any expenses (and there are tons of those) and income taxes. Don’t forget, you need health insurance, vacations, paid holidays. You know, all those things you get at a regular job.

I am appaled at this story. I didnt have the heart to even read the comments. Ive heard things about people and their mk horror stories. I am a mk consultant, and this woman is absolutely right. She was a victim. No sales director or recruiter should have ever pressured her into such a huge inventory order. The core values of mk are completely different than this one directors alterior motives. Mk is a great thing for so many women, but at the end of the day its YOUR business. If you dont want to stock at 3600 inventory, or even ANY inventory, no one should ever pressure you to do it. Im ashamed there are people that take advantage of new consultants. And to be brutally honest, some people should not be involved in mary kay. Its truly not for everyone. I mean really….if we all were meant to do it, no one would do anything else. Mary kay saved my life. Literally. And i wish we were safe from untrustworthy crooks that take advantagr. Unfortunately were not, just like any other company. A word to the wise, if ANY director or recruiter pressures you to do anything, you are probably in the wrong unit. For those of us who adhere to the core values (and really the values of being a decent human being) it can be and is a wonderful opportunity. I wish a real director had met her first before the name of the company i love was besmirched by a pushy woman who cared more about what she would get than what her team member would.

Also, for the record, i started with absolutely no inventory. Not 3600. Not 2400. Not even 200. I literally paid for my starter kit in coins i pulled from everywhere in my house. Its the greatest decision i ever made.

I’m sorry but you were not brainwashed. You are just stupid. You spent that kind of money behind your husband’s back says a lot about your marriage. It seems to me this site is to make some site owner wealthy off of pitiful complaining souls like yourself. Every business has expenses. What world do you nuts live in where a company makes you do nothing for a money and a car? If you own a franchise for example there are rules as there are in Mk even if it is your own business. This website is for women who only have the capability to complain at best. Listen to what you guys are saying. It is not. Mk fault if you do not have business acumen.

Pissed (Your name certainly suits you-LOL),
I am not even going to attempt to defend myself, as you aren’t worth my time or my words. All I’m going to say is you are rude and bitter. We have a right a site where we can vent. You, on the other hand, really should stay off it. Since you think some site owner is getting rich off it, you shouldn’t contribute.
As for your comment about my marriage, I just want to say that ending Mary Kay helped my marriage so very much. In fact, my hubby and I just had a beautiful baby. We couldn’t be happier 🙂

So, please stay off my comment page! I love my story, it’s so well-written and explained. I don’t need you tainting my work. You should spend your time selling Mary Kay, since you seem to have such a high opinion of it 😉

Can you please name a business where you start out for free? Where their are no business expenses what so ever? 2400 to start a BUSINESS is nothing. People put millions of dollars into a business and aren’t even guaranteed success. I dont see you icking on their wow. Why would you do it to mary kay people, this is our business and we are proud of it. maybe you arent necessarily calling out individual people but if you have a mary kay business, this very offensive. Not your story but the comments you are leaving to people.

Cassie,
I am not the one making the rude comments. I am defending myself, and my stand on this. I will NEVER back down. MARY KAY IS A SCAM!!!!!! Yes, people start businesses everyday, spending large amounts of money. But MARY KAY IS NOT A BUSINESS. REAL businesses do not require the owner to have to give sales quota to their director.
If you and the other MK lovers take offense to my words, then stay off this site.

What I hear on each comment is a woman who was at a “low-point” in their lives and turned to a possible opportunity to turn their life around, hoping Mary Kay would solve their issues & problems in life. I hear bad judgments and blaming a company and other women when no one dragged them into a possible opportunity. I am not a consultant or even customer, but I think it’ FUNNY how all the blame is certainly not the woman who joined the company and FAILED to WORK at this SALES position. Ask anyone in sales, it’s a lot of WORK. Nothing is free, especially starting a business, if you truly don’t want to work evenings and weekends in addition to a 40-hr work week, then keep trying to win the lottery because in owning/running your own business you will be putting in additional hours to build a customer base.
Stop whining and stay at an hourly position.

Most consultants are not even making as much as an hourly part-time job would provide them. They are mislead as to the amount they can make in Mary Kay and the time involved. Your yelling in capital letters just makes you sound rude.

Ruth, why is it that first we are told to pre-judge no one. Give EVERYONE the opportunity. Otherwise, we’re being selfish, right? And we are taught to offer a million and one ways to get the money no matter how many times we tell the skank we don’t have the money. Then when we finally find out there’s only a snowball’s chance in hell of making any money, we made poor decisions. Which is it? Bad decisions or recruit at any cost?

I have to say I find this all very amusing. Mary Kay has been around longer than most of you. If it were a scam then it wouldn’t be where it is today. I am quit certain Mary Kay herself would be heartbroken to hear these comments as she worked very hard to give women the opportunity to have a career and make money for themselves. If you read her auto biography you would learn everything she sacrificed for women. Just like any business it’s only going to survive if you work at it and put your all into it. No one has held a gun to your head telling you to invest in inventory. Are there pushy Mary Kay directors, Yes, can you tell them “no” I can’t afford to invest in inventory? Yes. At some point ladies, you have to be accountable for your own actions and stop blaming others for your mistakes. It was your choice to buy inventory. There are plenty of consultants who have made it to the top without buying inventory right away. You could have succeeded if you had continued to try and not give up. If you had your own clothing store and people walked in and said the styles are too retro or it wasn’t what they were looking for, so you give up and close the doors forever right? No you don’t. You just market to those who like the style of clothing you carry. It’s no different with Mary Kay. It’s not for everyone. You just keep sharing the product and business opportunity and find those women it’s a good fit for. There is no reason to bash a company because you failed at making it a success. If it’s your desire to work your butt off making someone else rich then go for it. I for one am tired of making others rich while I struggle paycheck to paycheck.

This is laughable! You are right about one thing (and one thing only)…Mary Kay has been around longer than most of us. It’s still around because it’s based on scams, lies and manipulation.
I will not continue to defend myself to someone as ignorant as you, Patricia.
As for this being heartbroken for Mary Kay?? Who gives a shit?!!

I found this page because for weeks a woman let’s call her Nancy has pestered me at my job to sell Mary Kay. Each time I thank her and politely excuse myself as I operate 2 stores, go to school fill time, great husband, 2 grown kids, and I volunteer. She insists on letting me know about 9 pm conference calls – as if I’m going to join a call at 9pm. Her insistence showed she was in it for herself and her approach was awful it showed her lack of experience in sales. Today she sent what I believe was a director. After speaking with her for a few moments I sized up their tactics. If you want to BS someone don’t pick a high performing account executive. I figured the director was omitting facts so I googled and here lies the truth. I can’t wait to have fun with her as I will certainly be eating her time with really dumb questions while acting as if I were going to join. ..no way not now not ever

Maddie, I totally get that you felt that this woman was pursuing you for her own agenda. But did you ever consider that maybe it was BECAUSE you are so successful in your current career endeavors that she was interested in you and thought you might be successful at Mary Kay? Why not just tell her that you’re flattered but 100% not interested, rather than waste your time (when you say you are sooo busy) just to mess with her head? That seems a bit childish and petty for a “high performing account executive”.

Mattie seems like a waste of time for both of you. As a High performing account executive I believe you would have better ways to spend your free time. I am sorry you have encountered busy representatives or Mary Kay maybe you are leaving the impression you are interested, sometimes we do not want to be rude or hurt someones feelings so instead of flat out saying “:sorry really not interested ” we say things like Not right now, I’m to busy ect. Do yourself and the consultants and tell her straight out, your time will thank you for it.

First I would like to address the fact that everyone is an adult capable of thinking and making wise and educated choices. The issue isn’t MK itself, as a matter of fact many women are very successful in their businesses with MK.You jumped into a business venture without first researching it for yourself, then you allowed other people to further influence your decision. As an MK consultant it is a part of the job to sell the business and product, but lets be honest here nobody had a gun up to your head demanding anything from you. You made a choice to do the business…now some directors are pushier than others but once again, as an adult you don’t have to allow the pushy behavior. Being forthcoming and honest about some of your reservations in starting your business may have been all it took to get your director to be less pushy and more encouraging. But how are you upset? It is a business…no one wants a stagnant person on their team. Stop blaming the company for your vulnerability and lack of understanding…MK is not a typical company, however it isn’t a get rich quick scheme either. You have the ability to work MK in you own way. A lot of consultants keep only the very popular items on hand and simply wait for clients to purchase before ordering…hence you weren’t obligated to purchase anything from the company but the initial starter kit to do skin care and facial classes. It’s crazy how people jump into situations and blame everyone else for their lack of thorough consideration. MK isn’t for everybody and you always have time to weigh out the pros and cons. The excitement of a MK party and constant insisting from consultants doesn’t take away from your ability to say, ” Not today. Let me consider some things. I’ll notify you if I desire to be a part of this business.” Its not difficult to just be honest about how you feel…and if you still feel pressured get up and leave. But don’t bash a company that is clearly creating some successful women because it wasn’t for you.

I am so glad that I found this site. I was considering investing the minimal amount of money ($600) to become a part-time consultant. However, after reading the comments, I’ve decided against it. I’ve learned to trust my gut instincts, and your posts told me that those instincts were spot on. The “DIQ” (as she styles herself) has been pressuring me nonstop to become a consultant since I purchased makeup from her. She used all of the lingo you mentioned. (They must be indoctrinated with this language.) I’ve told her numerous times that I can’t be bullied into submission. She apologizes but comes back for more. I made the mistake of attending an MK “rah-rah party” and was appalled. Five of us went to Panera Bread before the meeting. When we walked in, my DIQ “friend” was wearing a white pageant-style banner around her red jacket. (She is very obese and looked rather like a parade float with the banner trailing off of her.) Another DIQ IMMEDIATELY left the group and spent her entire time in the restaurant interrupting people who were eating to talk to them about MK. She was finally asked by the manager to stop after someone complained. The director who was with us seemingly had every single pin and pendant she had received from MK pinned to her jacket. All you could see when you looked at her was glitter. When we left the restaurant, my DIQ acquaintance turned to me and said, “Did you see how everyone was staring at us? That’s what happens when you’re part of Mary Kay. People notice sharp-dressed ladies who are on the ball!” It took everything I had in me not to roll my eyes at her and ask her if she was serious. People were staring because they looked, and acted, like freakish cult members. Oh… I forgot to mention that ALL they talked about was MK, and that is not an exaggeration. The director admired a bracelet I was wearing. I told her I had made it. She made a disparaging remark about “hobbies.” I wanted to smack her. The arrogance of women who think that hustling cheap cosmetics somehow makes them superior to everyone else… I am a highly skilled silversmith who makes pricey sterling jewelry. I am an artist, not a hobbyist. MK is a joke, and the minions who bust their rear ends to make a small income every year are delusional cult followers.

I wish we lived in a world where calling fellow women and fellow human beings “freaks” and “psychos” would be recognized as disrespectful and heartless regardless of the circumstances. Fighting fire with fire only causes a larger fire. There are people with good and bad intentions in every business, whether in sales or any other profession. Try to have the maturity to recognize what you don’t like about others and what you dislike about how you have been treated and use it to make change, uplift, and respect, rather than degrade others and feed negative feelings in others.

I’ve seen this business used for bad and for good. Please stop ruining the name of the business for those who try to use it for good.

I’ve been a ‘casual’ consultant for 5 years. I will be getting out of the business as I do not have the mentality to sell the way I’m required to in order to make the mandatory purchases every few months in order to stay ‘active’ and receive products at 50% off. I learned early on that I do not like going into others homes and selling a ‘facial’ (which really is NOT a facial) & then trying to talk others into having parties. I currently use the product, and sell to family and friends.
I did not like attending the weekly meetings, and was frowned upon when I would have to miss a week. So I eventually ended up not going. I went to a few seminars which were ok, but it all cost so much money and time away from my family. Plus it was only ever talk about MK, and nothing else. I don’t like getting calls from people I don’t know to ‘have a party’, so I don’t like doing the same to others.
This company is an MLM company. It’s good for those who like to sell that way, but it definitely isn’t for everyone. I happen to have a lot of inventory on hand…for those of you with success with your MK business, will you kindly take it off my hands? 50% off, shipping charges only, without handling! That’s a better deal than the company!

Anything you do behind your husband’s back is going to turn out bad. That guilt is going to carry into your approach in sales and in the business. Any business you get into is going to be a risk. Selling Mary Kay is having your own business with a whole team of support. No one forced you to do it, it was YOUR decision. And the fact that they offer to buy the product back if it doesn’t work out for you sounds like they ARE looking out for you. I’m tired of hearing all these negative remarks from women who think they were FORCED into selling Mary Kay. Stop pointing the finger at innocent people that are just trying to be successful and look at yourself. You made the decision yourself. It’s just as easy to say no.